Good Grandpa – Author Signing at Maxima October 15, 7PM
They weren’t supposed to be the glue, but today’s grandfathers are stepping up as unexpected anchors- quietly, profoundly redefining what it means to show up. Once background figures, they’re now deeply involved in their grandkids’ lives and helping their grown children thrive.
Our culture is seeing a reinvention of grandfatherhood. It’s time we paid attention.
Fortunately, storyteller, media creator and grandfather Ted Page is shining a light on this new age of purposeful grandparenting in his first-of-its-kind book, GOOD GRANDPA: Stories from the Heart of Grandfatherhood (Regalo Press; Sept. 2, 2025). According to Page, grandfatherhood isn’t a footnote – it’s a force. He says it’s time to recognize how modern grandpas are nurturing the next great generation.
Page’s “Good Grandpa” transformation came about when he became a grandfather at the age of 55, and
all he could find on the web were references to the movie Bad Grandpa. He asked, “Where are the
good ones?” He found purpose and community by creating the Good Grandpa blog that was profiled by
The New York Times: Learning to Become a Better Grandfather.
In GOOD GRANDPA, Page blends storytelling, personal memoir, scientific insight, and interviews with
remarkable grandpas, including newsman Tom Brokaw, Monty Python alum John Cleese, and NFL legend
Reggie Williams. This is not an empty “keepsake journal.”
An Excerpt from Ch. 23 “My Number One Thing”
To my grandchildren reading this – my forever book – I have a time capsule message. At present, you may be entirely preoccupied with fitting together LEGO pieces to make your Mars rover or putting dresses on your Elsa doll. But when you reach the age of understanding, please know that all the problems in the world can be solved, and you have the power within you to make anything happen. You have a voice. Use it! Never take your freedom for granted. The Statue of Liberty is not some random tourist attraction in New York Harbor, not a relic of the past. It’s the future – a living, vibrant, towering beacon of freedom shimmering across the waters! Go there. Read the words on the plaque at its base. And while you’re waiting in line to go inside, strike up a few conversations with strangers.
If in any way what I have shared in this book helps you live your best life, if it helps you serve others to the fullest, pass it on. Wisdom truly is the best heirloom. Someday – if you are very, very lucky – you will hold a newborn grandchild in your arms. You will feel a sense of total peace and contentment, a love that fills the room and all the world around you. That’s how I will always feel when I think of you.
From gripping family lore (how Page’s father pulled a sunken outboard motor from the bottom of a lake to earn his future father-in-law’s blessing) to emotional reckonings with legacy, loss, and love, GOOD GRANDPA will help families, grandparents, fathers, and more understand shifting aspects
on:
- The #1 Wisdom from Grandpas: A priest, a rabbi, an imam, Chinese, Indian, combat vets, and many
more share their top wisdom for the next generation. - Generational Love Languages: Page’s Gramp showed love by splitting wood with his
grandsons; his Gram expressed her love through poetry. Page wants to help you find yours. - The Digital Awakening of Grandparenting: From blogging to writing “Forever Letters” via email,
today’s grandparents are going digital in a big way. - The Science of Grandparenthood: The first grandparents 30,000 years ago helped implant wisdom to
help families and civilization itself prosper (the original life coaches). - The Real Masculine Energy: Many grandpas interviewed spoke of the critical importance of being
kind (we need to hear this now more than ever). - At a time when our society aches for connection across age, class, race, and ideology, GOOD
GRANDPA shows that grandfathers just might be the unlikely heroes we’ve been overlooking.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ted Page is a storyteller and performer. His nonfiction stories have appeared in Boston Magazine and the Boston Globe Magazine, and his comedy screen credits include work with John Cleese and Florence Henderson. His blog for grandfathers, GoodGrandpa.com, has been featured in The New York Times. Ted’s book of true family stories, The Willoughby Chronicles, was published in 2017. He lives in New England and has a bunch of grandchildren.